The Weight of a Moment

 

  

Charlie Kirk 1993-2025

 The news of Charlie Kirk's death was a sudden and profound shock to me as I opened up my Facebook app on my phone Wednesday afternoon. I saw as many others did, the immediate aftermath, social media feeds were flooded with posts, videos, and news reports. While many of these were well-intentioned I am sure, it was hard to shake the feeling that a race was on—a race to be the first to report, to get the most views, to be heard. A race that felt rushed. It felt like a rush to capitalize on a tragedy before we had even taken a moment to sit in the stillness of grief. 

    We seem to have lost the capacity to pause. I noticed this in many other tragic events like this, yet it seems like it is getting worse. In a world that demands instant reactions, there's little room for quiet sorrow anymore. I believe it's a disservice to the memory of a person and, more importantly, to the family left behind. Before we share, before we debate, before we politicize, can we simply take a moment to mourn with those who mourn? To simply stop and taken in the weightiness of the moment. I know we live in a face paced, instant gratification, fast food society. However, somethings such as this I believe, should cause us to take a collective pause. 

    Oddly enough the last time I remember we did this as a nation was on 9/11, when the twin towers came down. For the first and sadly last time both Republicans, Democrats and all those in between took time together to morn the loss of life and to pause for a moment as a nation to grieve. 

    The Bible reminds us of this simple human and spiritual truth. In Romans 12:15, the Apostle Paul wrote, "Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep."

A Lack of Mutual Respect

    What has been most disheartening to me has been the responses on both sides of the political aisle. I’ve seen people on my feed, celebrating his death, others declaring it was deserved, and still others using the moment to fuel anger and further deepen the political divide on the other side. I have seen posts made by conservatives attacking liberals and those who might make these insensitive remarks. I have seen the hatefulness spewing from both sides.  I have seen friendships being severed, and the trenches are being dug deeper.

    I won't lie, there have been posts that have made my blood boil. Yet I can't bring my self to attack them even though my flesh would love to. I am reminded that they have a right to say whatever they want, which is exactly what Charlie Kirk advocated as well. Furthermore, I am reminded that while I might not like the things other people post and believe, they are still loved by God. God loved them enough to die on the cross for there sins. I don't want to post something in my flesh that would prevent them seeing Christ within me. I don't want my own anger to turn them away from Jesus. 

    In my opinion  core issue isn't whether you agreed with Charlie Kirk or not. The issue is a profound lack of empathy. A wife lost her husband. Children lost their father. A family is grieving a deeply personal and painful loss. It seems we have become so consumed by our own viewpoints and opinions that we are we have forgotten how to be human. We have forgotten that we can have a differing opinion and still extend compassion and empathy to a fellow human being. Doing so without any "But's"; "I am sad this happened, BUT listen to what he said at this time". 

    Kirk's legacy includes a dedication to open dialogue, one of mutual respect. He often created platforms where diverse voices could be heard and ideas could be debated. This is a vital practice that seems to be disappearing, especially in our universities and colleges. We need to learn to listen to one another. We should not be killed for having differing opinions. True progress and understanding are born from robust, respectful conversation, not from staying in our own echo chambers. We may never agree on every point, we may never agree on a lot of things, but as iron sharpens iron, we become better when we listen to one another.

Finding Hope in a World Without It

    In a conversation with my wife tonight, she said something that really struck me that went beyond the political and social issues. Something that I think is for me the most sobering thing of all in all of this. 

    She said "For many, this life is all there is. They view a tragedy like this through a purely physical lens, asking, "I wonder if he would have changed his mind about guns if he knew this was going to happen?" 

    Then my wife said "I don't think that he would change his mind, because he believed in this position (the right to bare arms as a constitutional right), but more than that He was saved. While he would I am sure worry about his children and his wife that he is leaving behind. This life was not all there is. He knew there was a greater life a more abundant life that is waiting for him. That is something I think that those who are attacking him and making those statements are not taking into account. Sadly for some of them they view Charlie's death simply as the end of his life because that is how they view there own."

    This is the great tragedy we often fail to see. The world, by and large, has no hope beyond the grave. They believe this physical life is all there is, and therefore, every injustice, every tragedy, every loss feels like the end of the story. The final chapter in the book. The do not realize that for the believer in Christ it is not the closing of a book, instead it is simply just the turning of a page. 

    But for those who have placed their faith in Jesus Christ, the story continues. The Apostle Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 5:1, "For we know that if our earthly house, this tent, is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens."

This is our hope. While we grieve and feel the pain of this world, we can do so with the profound assurance that our home is in glory. This does not make the pain any less real, nor does it justify any injustices that may take place, but it does mean that in the midst of it, we have an anchor that holds. We have a hope that endures and a Father in Heaven who won't let go. 

    It is this hope, and this hope alone, that allows us to find comfort in a time of sorrow and to extend grace and compassion even to those with whom we disagree. It is a hope that transcends politics, tragedy, and division, reminding us that there is a purpose and a promise far greater than this fleeting moment.

A Better Way

    So, where do we go from here? If the issues we face are rooted in a lack of empathy, a culture of instant gratification, and a world without hope, is there a solution? YES, Yes there is! I believe the answer is found in the very hope I have been discussing—a hope that transcends politics and personal agendas. A hope that is not Republican, or Democrat or any other political system. 

    You see I don't believe that  the answer is in fighting louder, or in digging our trenches deeper. That is what many have done for the past several decades and we are not better for it. Perhaps the answer is simply in a quiet surrender to the One who offers real everlasting peace. If we, as a people, would simply lean into Christ, we might learn how to mourn and pause once more. We might learn to extend empathy and compassion, even to those with whom we profoundly disagree with. We might rediscover the art of listening rather than demanding being heard. Listening even when others' opinions rub us the wrong way. We might learn to be calm and quiet when the world is enraged and boisterous. We might learn to not rant and rave or block and unfriend people on social media we disagree with. 

    This is the call for all who follow Christ: to live by His example. When we live out the Gospel in our daily lives—when we point others to the cross and a better way of living—we become a part of God's work in the world. We become apart of the solution to this broken world. 

    As more people without hope find their hope in Christ, we will begin to see a transformation their lives. A transformation not brought about by arguments or angry posts. We will see a culture that regains a little more of its humanity. Restores a little more of it's dignity as we see a culture drawing ever so closer to God.  We will stop fighting and living in our own echo chambers and instead begin to build bridges of understanding, compassion and mutual respect.

    There has been a lot of things this week that has caused me to become saddened. From a young girl who had escaped from her war torn country only to be murdered in cold blood on a train. To the tragic murder of Charlie Kirk at a college event in Utah. To the school shooting that had happened that same day. To the somber reminder of the 9/11 attack today. It seems a bit overwhelming! Yet in CHRIST THERE IS HOPE!